Condensing apparatus



D. w. R. MORGAN 2,266,654 CONDENSING APPARATUS Dec. 16, 1941.

Filed Aug. 25,1939

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l'NVENT OR Dnvm w. Rmnrnu. BY, lUjTdl 0.. f5, M as 4 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 16, 1941 CONDENSING APPARATUS David W. R. Morgan, Swarthmore, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application August 25, 1939, sci-in Nb. 291,830

2 Claims.

The invention relates to power plants, and especially to industrial power plants in which it often occurs that the steam converted into power represents only a portionof the total station boiler capacity, due, for instance, to the fact that steam for other purposes, such as for process work, is extracted, after partial expansion, as from the stages of turbines.

Furthermore, the same situation may be found to exist in central station plants, as the present trend in central station work is toward combining the output of central stations with the steam and power demands of industrial'plants.

In some plants hot water is required for process work as well as for make-up, and it is frequently desirable to keep the hot water in a closed system, as where it has been treated, or must be kept free from contamination.

In power plants where large quantities of steam are required for process work, the turbines may operate primarly as steam-reducing valves in order to supply the large amounts of steam necessary, in which case the steam flow through the low-pressure turbines is limited to that required for keeping the turbines cool, and the heat taken from the turbines may be, in turn, absorbed and recovered by passing the steam through a condensing plant of the type hereinafter, disclosed.

The steam flow through a turbine on' the line will vary with fluctuations or changes in load or power demand, resulting in corresponding fluctuations in the load on the condensing plant.

Where the condensing plant is ofthe multiunit type, comprising a main condenser and one or more heaters, with damper means for directing an adequate supply of turbine exhaust steam to the heater and passing any excess steam to the condenser, it is desirable to have the dampers adjusted automatically in anticipation of steam flow conditions at the region of the dampers.

Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide, for use with a turbine installation, a

vision, in a turbine installation including a condensing plant, of governor-operated means for controlling steam distribution to various sections of the condensing plant.

These and other objects are effected by my indescription and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, with a portion thereof broken away for the sake of clearness, showing a turbine installation embodying the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the condensing plant shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, there is shown a turbine installation including a condensing turbine adapted to receive motive fluid, preferably steam, through a conduit l I connected with the turbine steam chest [2, The flow of steam through the latter is controlled by governor mechanism 13 operating through the linkage 14. The turbine exhaust casing I6 may be connected, through an expansion joint H, with vention as will be apparent from the following the exhaust steam inlet 18 of a condensing plant, indicated in its entirety by the numeral [9.

The condensing plant 19 comprises a shell 2| having the exhaust steam inlet l8, previously referred to, at the top, and a condensate outlet opening 22 at the bottom, the latter communicating with a hot well 23 provided with the usual condensate discharge conduit 24 at the bottom thereof.

A plurality of tubes 26 extend longitudinally of the shell 2| and define a main condensing tube nest 21 of generally circular cross section.

The tube nest 21 is divided so as to form a vertically-extending steam lane 28 which is in direct communication with the exhaust steam inlet I8. This lane is defined by longitudinallyextending partitionmeans, such as plates 29 and 30, which extend above the tube nest and have flanges 3| and 32, respectively, along their upper edges for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

A plurality of tubes 33 extend longitudinally of the shell within the steam lane 28, between plates 29 and 30, and define a primary heater 33a. These tubes constitute a portion of a closed circuit or system containing make-up water or a liquid adapted for process work, such as treated water.

The lower ends of the plates 29 and 30 extend through the condensate discharge opening 22 into the hot well 23. As it is frequently desirable to maintain a pressure in the main condensing portion of the apparatus which is different from the pressure in the primary heater 330., a double water seal is provided, as at 35 and 36. This double-sealed hot well is fully described in my former Patent No. 1,578,058, dated March 23, 1926, and will not be described further herein as the same constitutes no part of the present invention.

The plate 30 is provided with one or more openings 38 at a point below the primary heater 3311., through which non-condensable gases may be vented to the main condensing tube nest 21.

Baille structures 39, having a plurality of openings 45 therein, separate the innermost tubes of the nest El from the remainder thereof, the separated tubes defining air coolers 4! provided with conventional air ofitakes 42 for venting non-condensable gases to the exterior of the shell 2!.

Disposed between the respective plates 28 and 33 and the shell 2| are directing means or dampers 45. These dampers are preferably mounted on pivotal members, such as rods 46, which extend longitudinally of the shell, and suitable means, such as levers 47, are secured to these rods in some position, preferably, outside of the condenser, to provide means for operating the dampers 45. The dampers may be so arranged as to be balanced open, or in a vertical position, so as not to interfere with the admission of motive fluid to the tube nest 21 of the condensing portion of the apparatus. By operating the levers 4?, the dampers may be either partially or wholly closed so as to form a closed partition between the flanges 3i and 32 of the plates 29 and 38, respectively, and the shell 2 L If desired, abutment means, such as angles 48 and 49, may be provided on the shell or eilfectively closing oil the main condensing portion of the apparatus.

Preferably, I provide a servo-motor for operating the dampers 45 in response to action of the turbine governor l3. prises a cylinder 52 having ports 53 for the admission and discharge of an actuating medium. The flow through the ports 53 is controlled by a valve 5 which is adapted to reciprocate in the valve chest 55, the latter being provided with an inlet connection 55 and with discharge connections 5'1.

A piston 65, in the cylinder 52, is secured on the rod (ii, the latter being adapted to actuate the dampers 45 through the bellcrank 62 and rod 63, the latter having pin and slot connections 63a with the free ends of the levers 4?.

The rod 6! and valve stem 54 are pivotally connected with the lever 64, the latter having an adjustable connection, at 65, with the link 66 which, in turn, is pivotally connected to the lever 61, operably associated with the linkage I4 of the governor l3.

In the operation of the apparatus, assuming that the turbine is on the line with only suiiicient steam flowing therethrough to cool the turbine, the dampers will be in closed position as shown, with all of the steam passing through the primary heater 33a in order that the make-up water or process liquid may be suitably heated.

When plant operating conditions require that the turbine be used for the production of power, the governor IE will operate to permit of increased flow of steam through the steam chest This servo-motor coml2, thence through the turbine I0 and exhaust l B to the condensing plant I9. At the same time that the valves in the steam chest are opened to permit of increased flow of steam to the turbine, the end of the lever 61 which is connected with the link 66 will be raised, thereby raising the valve 54 and causing flow of operating fluid to the upper side of the piston 60 of the servomotor 5| and discharge of operating fluid from beneath the piston. The resulting downward movement of the piston 60 and rod 6| will operate the bellcrank 62 and link 63 to move the levers 41 and their associated dampers to open position.

Thus it will be seen that the governor-actuated control of the dampers 45 in eiTect anticipates increased or decreased flow of steam in the region of the dampers, whereby ample condensing space is always available.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

'1. A condensing plant for use with a turbine installation including a turbine governor and comprising a shell structure having an exhaust steam inlet and a condensate outlet, a tube nest within the shell structure and constituting a main condensing element, means for conveying extraneous cooling water through said tube nest, a second condensing element in a portion of the shell structure which is separate from the portion containing the main condensing element and which is in the path of steam entering the shell, means for conveying water to be heated through said second condensing element, a plurality of adjustable dampers within the shell structure for directing an adequate supply of exhaust steam to said second condensing element and for passing any excess steam to the main condensing element, and means responsive entirely to governor action for adjusting said dampers in anticipation of changes in the volume of steam exhausted to the condensing plant by the turbine being governed.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, wherein the means for adjusting the dampers comprises linkage operably associated with said dampers; a servo-motor, including an operating piston and a control valve, for imparting movement to the linkage; and additional linkage connecting the servo-motor control valve with the turbine goverernor whereby movement of the latter to permit increased flow of steam to the turbine causes the servo-motor to actuate the first-mentioned linkage to open the dampers and to permit the additional steam to pass to the main condensing element.

DAVID W. R. MORGAN. 

